Finding My Own Prince Charming
by bRoDyLiCiOuS
Summary: [I guess you could call me a hopeless, modern day princess looking desperately for her Prince Charming.] When Rachel Summerfield, a new girl fresh from NYC moves to Newport, finding Prince Charming only takes a matter of time. [a NON SS fic]
1. Goodbye New York, Hello Newport!

**Disclaimer: **Even though I wish I _did _own The OC, and more importantly Adam Brody, I do not. I only own the plot, which is more romantically dramatic than you'd ever imagine in your wildest dreams. Okay, not really, but you get my point…it's pretty crazy. I don't even exactly own the main character of this fanfic, who is imagined to look like Sophia Bush, from The OC's rival One Tree Hill.

**A/N:** I hope you enjoy this story, 'cause I've been plotting this out for the past 5 months, and now, of all times, have finally gathered up the courage to turn it into a fanfic. By the way, the setting takes place sometime in the summer, after the Season 2 finale. Let's just _pretend_ the thing with Trey didn't happen, 'cause it would just kill my plot.

Well, here's Chapter One.

* * *

**Chapter One**

I guess you could call me a hopeless, modern day princess looking desperately for her Prince Charming. I'd never had the greatest luck with guys – romantically - at least. I probably had more male friends than I had female friends, which was probably hard to believe, according to my family life. I was a spoiled eighteen-year-old, living with my older brother Josh, and my rich, jerk-of-a-father in New York City, just south of Times Square. My mother had died was I was young, only about 7, maybe 8. I never really talked about it; considering it was an uncomfortable subject in my position. My brother had moved in with his girlfriend, Adelle (who was probably the nicest, sweetest girl you'd ever meet) just before the past school year ended, and they shared an apartment down in Soho. I spent a couple of months living with my dad, but he was always out on business, or with his new wife, Renee and her two, perfect, well-mannered _blonde_ twins Michael and Michelle. They were my age, and that probably bugged me the most. Somehow, I felt there was a sort of power struggle between me and the twins, competing for my father's affection. After about two weeks, I couldn't take it anymore. I called up my favorite Aunt and Uncle, and explained the whole thing to them. My Uncle Joey was my mother's brother, but I rarely got to see him because my father wasn't very fond of him, and he lived all the way in California. As soon as he talked it over with Aunt Jennine, they suggested I'd come live with them, over in California. I told my dad one night when Renee, Michael and Michelle weren't home, and after a huge argument and a lot of yelling, he agreed. Well, he didn't really agree, but when I started to pack my bags, and bought a ticket to take me to Orange County, he didn't try to stop me. He knew I was too strong-willed to change my mind. So, about a week later, I had readily packed my bags, and said a short good-bye to my father, my stepmother, and finally Michael and Michelle. I hailed a taxi, and headed for the airport, very excited about starting over in a brand new city.

The flight from New York City all the way to Orange County was very long (and boring). I'd been sitting on that damn airplane for now almost four-and-a-half hours, flipping through a pile of Teen People and CosmoGirl magazines, just waiting for what seemed like an eternity until we landed. I had fallen asleep not too long ago, and had been woken up by an annoying voice in the speakers overhead that reassured me that we'd be landing in a mere 15 minutes.

I opened my eyes, yelping as sunlight from the window next to me streamed into the plane, practically burning my eyeballs. Thankfully, I didn't suffer any injuries, except for a minor headache that lasted only a few seconds. After blinking a couple of times, I looked sleepily down at the mass of magazines on my lap, before leaning forward to pick up my over-sized Louis Vuitton purse, and shoving the magazines inside the deep pocket. I smiled with satisfaction, before dropping my handbag by my feet, and giving it a quick shove so that it was hidden underneath the seat in front of me.

I felt the air pressure drop as the plane dove with swan-like grace towards land, zipping past fluffy, snow white clouds before finally revealing sandy beaches, multi-million dollar homes - Orange County, and all the rest of its glory.

* * *

"_Land_!" I cried finally, waltzing joyously out of the terminal, and out towards the baggage claim area, but not before checking that my low-rising, flared stonewashed jeans hung off of my hips just so, that the shoelaces of my grass-green Converse high-tops were tied, and that my matching green halter top looked perfectly pressed. I smiled, and adjusted the straps to my purse, before quickly continuing on my way.

When I made it there, my uncle was there of course, waiting to greet me. My smile broke out into a huge grin, and I let out a squeal of excitement. I was finally here, and it was really hard to believe.

"UNCLE JOEY!" I exclaimed, running towards him like a little girl, and hugging him tightly. He had always been my favorite uncle; he always knew what I wanted for my birthday, or even for Christmas, and I didn't even have to tell him.

"Hey Rachel, how was your flight?" He asked, smiling and hugging me back.

"It was really long and boring, and the people sitting next to me were super annoying – not to mention loud." I said, grimacing a little, and Uncle Joey laughed at the expression on my face. I stepped back, the grin still plastered to my face, and watched the conveyor belt, looking for my luggage. It wasn't long before I spotted all 7 of my suitcases, and Uncle Joey helped me pick them up and put them on one of those funny-looking luggage carts. We pushed the carts out towards the exit of the airport, and when we got outside, Uncle Joey ran to get his car, a beautiful white-gold Nissan Pathfinder. We put the luggage in the back of the car, and I hopped into the front passenger seat.

"So how's Charlie?" I asked, once we sped off towards the highway, followed by a bunch of twists and turns in the road.

Uncle Joey chuckled. "He was sleeping when I left, but he knows you're coming, so I'm sure he'll be up by the time we get there." He answered, glancing over very quickly at me, before turning back to the road, and making another turn onto another highway that lead almost directly to Newport.

"And Aunt Jennine?" I inquired, running a hand through my dark, chocolate brown hair, and staring vainly at my hazel-eyed reflection in the mirror.

"She's doing pretty well. She's working as a makeup artist for one of those teen soap-operas now, did you know?"

I gasped. "Oh my gosh. You're kidding! Which one? I watch like, all of them." I smiled, my eyes lighting up with enthusiasm.

"I'm not sure, really. Just knew you'd be excited." He laughed, but this time didn't look over at me. We pulled into Newport a while later, driving leisurely down a couple of beach-side streets, before turning a corner onto a street with absolutely massive, gorgeous houses. He pointed to one, a beige-toned house with a cobblestone driveway that winded off into a small walkway, lined with flowers of beautiful, almost shockingly bright colors, and a freshly cut, perfectly manicured lawn. A few small lanterns decorated the front garden, supposedly lighting the way to the front door at night.

"I love this house!" I exclaimed. I hadn't been here since I was about 6, my Aunt and Uncle always had come to visit me in New York. When the car came to a stop and the engine was shut off, I unbuckled my seat belt, and opened the car door, rushing to the front of the house like a little girl on Christmas morning. I probably looked like a major dork to the neighbors, but I didn't care, I was far too excited. The door swung open, and my Aunt Jennine was there, smiling widely.

"Rachel! My goodness…you're so tall now!" She said, and stepped aside as Charlie rushed out the door, practically pouncing on me, and barking excitedly the entire time.

"Aunt Jennine!" I said, kneeling down, gently petting Charlie my favorite golden retriever in the _entire _world, his tail wagging frantically. "Hello puppy!" I said in a babyish kind of voice, before standing up, and rushing towards my Aunt to give her a tight, thank-you-so-much kind of hug. "How are you?"

"Wonderful, and you? C'mon in, you must be so tired from that flight." She said, ushering me inside, and Charlie simply followed, his backside swaying lazily, his tail still wagging eagerly before he turned a corner into the living room, and flopped down onto the carpeted floor, attempting to fall asleep. That's what I remembered the most about Charlie – he was possibly the laziest dog you'd _ever_ meet.

* * *

Uncle Joey took all of my luggage to my "room" – I was staying in one of the three guest rooms, but they had told me that I was welcome to give the room a makeover, and make it feel like home. The room was beautiful all on its own – there was a vanity desk waiting there for me, directly across from a white canopy bed. The bed had a perfect, fluffy white duvet comforter, white sheets and pillowcases, and the sheer material used as a canopy for my bed reminded me somewhat of gossamer fabric, which was very calming and dream-like.

A vanity desk was set up directly across the room from the bed, stained a creamy, milky white of course, with a large mirror behind it, and a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling and lighting up the area. My luggage was piled in an empty corner of the room, across from the dresser on the opposite side of the room that matched perfectly with my vanity desk.

There was a large window, curtained with the same material used for the canopy over the bed, with opening doors so you could walk out onto a mini-balcony and take in the beautiful scenery.

On the other side of the large room was a massive ensuite bathroom, and next to the bathroom was a huge walk-in closet, perfect for keeping all of my clothes and the numerous pairs of shoes I had brought with me. The room was painted a light, powder blue, and trimmed with a white wooden border, matching the door. I smiled to myself and flopped down lazily onto the bed, looking over at the only item I had already unpacked; my white-and-pink toy pony. She had a pure white, plastic coat, and a soft pink mane. Three, tiny red hearts were imprinted on her left hip, thus granting her the name Princess Passion. I got her for Christmas, nearly 12 years ago, and even after all that time, she's the most reliable friend a girl could have.

I stood up, sighing cheerfully, and made a desperate, rather futile attempt to unpack before Aunt Jennine called me for dinner.

* * *

**A/N: **Yeah. Basically, this chapter was just an introductory, so that you understand Rachel's family history. Don't worry, she'll meet one of the original characters in the next chapter, I promise. But I'm not telling who. :) 


	2. Cookies and Lemonade

**A/N:** Thanks a ton for all of the reviews! I really appreciate it. :) Sorry if this is a little late, I'm really busy this week.

**Reviews:**

**xocourtneyxo: **Exactly what I was thinking! I was actually going to start with a OTH/OC crossover, but I decided to kick off with this one, and just see how it works out. Anyways, I completely agree – Brooke/Seth are a great couple, and they're totally cute together. You'll just have to wait and see what happens with Rachel and Seth, though.

**DeuCe628: **Thanks a bunch! It's nice to know my story catches someone's attention.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

The heat was getting to me now. It wasn't like this in New York – not even during the summer. There was no breeze, and the sun was beating down heavily.

I was sprawled out lazily on the front lawn, staring blankly up at the sky, watching as the clouds slowly passed by. Charlie was around somewhere, probably chasing butterflies or pouncing on grasshoppers. I sighed, and sat up, glancing down at the watch on my wrist.

**12:09 PM.**

The large, digital numbers stared back at me, notifying me that I'd only been sitting out for less than ten minutes. I frowned inwardly, and stood up, heading towards the house. Charlie trotted cheerfully behind me, panting madly. I breathed a sigh of relief, stepping into the cool, air-conditioned house, and shut the door. I walked slowly towards the kitchen, and once arriving there I flung open the fridge door, grabbing a Diet Coke. I stared at the plain, hardly decorated tin can for a moment, before flicking it open, smiling at the soft hissing sound it made. I took a sip of the caffeinated soda, before sauntering lazily into the living room, and jumping comfortably onto the couch. I turned on the TV, and flipped through the stations briefly, before finding an old rerun of "Friends". It had always been my favorite show, and I even _cried_ when I watched the series finale.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. I glanced towards the entrance hall, and then back at the TV screen, placing my Diet Coke down on the coffee table.

"COMING!" I yelled, and stood up, walking swiftly towards the door. "Hello?"

"Um, hi. I noticed you just moved in – I live down the street – and I wanted to say hi and…" He trailed off, nervously touching the back of his neck. He wasn't exactly the cutest guy I'd ever met – in fact, he looked pretty geeky – but he definitely seemed friendly enough. He had partially tanned skin, and dark, wavy hair.

"I'm Rachel Summerfield." I said, smiling welcomingly, holding the door with one hand, and extending the other hand for him to shake.

Suddenly, he didn't look so nervously, and he broke out into a wide smile. "Well heeeey, I'm Seth Cohen." He answered, shaking my hand with a firm, but gentle grip. "Nice to meet you."

I nodded, running my free hand through my hair, still keeping one hand on the door. "It's nice to meet you too. So, do you want to come in? It's boiling outside."

"Sure, but I'm used to it. I've lived here like, forever." He answered, and stepped inside.

I closed the door, keeping the sweet, friendly smile on my face. "It's new to me – I just moved here from New York City."

"The fashion capital of the world? Awesome."

My smile quickly turned into a cheeky grin. "Yes, the fashion capital of the world…when you put it that way, it actually sounds exciting."

"I thought New York _was _exciting, even if not for the shopping…?" Seth ended his statement in a curious tone of question.

"Not when you live there for almost eighteen years, trust me." I answered, with a defiant, almost sarcastic tone.

Seth just nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of him jeans. "How do you like Newport so far?" He changed the subject with a smile.

"Besides the awful heat – ew – it's not bad, and as long as there's like, tons of opportunities to shop, I love this place!" I began, "I mean, I'm not really expecting Prada or anything, but there _has_ to be Louis Vuitton down here somewhere, right?"

Seth chuckled softly. "You should meet Summer." He responded, grinning.

I blinked, arching an eyebrow curiously. "Who's Summer?"

"My girlfriend – she's probably just as obsessed with shopping as you are."

I grinned. "Seriously?" I asked incredulously.

"Mmhm."

"Thank god, I hate shopping by myself. You like, have no one to tell you whether your jeans are too tight or too loose." I answered, smiling faintly.

Seth blinked, and nodded slowly. "I probably wouldn't have put it that way, but I you know, definitely get your point."

"Good."

"Well it is great meeting you, but I should probably get going. You should stop by sometime…we could eat over-baked chocolate chip cookies and drink…cheap lemonade." He said, smiling proudly.

I laughed slightly. "Sounds fun…I'll bring the lemonade."

After a couple of minutes of chatting rather pointlessly, he left, and I leaned up against the front door, smiling to myself. I wasn't really sure _why_ I was smiling, but I was anyways. It took me a couple of minutes before I finally stopped smiling, and sauntered over to the living room, flinging myself comfortably onto the cushioned couch.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you like it! Sorry it's so short; I was kind of rushing to finish it in a limited amount of time. The next chapter will be set a week-and-a-half after this, just so you know. Also, just to clarify, Seth and Summer are _still_ together – in this chapter, at least - so there are only mentions of S/S. I'd tell you more, but that would ruin my entire plot. :) 


	3. Tiger Tail Ice Cream

**A/N:** Thanks _again_ for the reviews! It is great hearing from you guys, and getting your perspectives on this story. And if you think it's interesting so far, just wait until Chapter Four. Yeah…I've got it all planned out – a sequel, too if this story turns out well!

**Reviews:**

**xocourtneyxo: **Yeah, I guess Rach does have a hint of Brooke's fiery attitude. I think she's got a bit of a unique personality, though. Thanks for reviewing…again!

**DeuCe628: **Thank you! I hope you like it so far. :)

* * *

**Chapter Three**

There's nothing like lazy summer days, especially when you have nothing better to do than eat Skittles and watch old episodes of _The Valley_. But eventually, after you think you've watched the exact same episode almost ten times, you get bored.

I turned off the TV, sitting in silence, thinking of what I could possibly do that wouldn't involve moving off the sofa. Nothing came to mind, so I stood up, sauntering quietly into the kitchen. I was completely by myself (with the exception of Charlie), since Aunt Jennine and Uncle Joey were out working. I sighed, looking around absently, trying to find something to do that would keep me occupied for possibly the rest of the day, if even at all possible. Suddenly, an idea hit me, and I quickly dashed for the front door.

* * *

I knocked three times on the front door, waiting silently for someone to answer.

"Oh, hey Rach."

"Hi, Ryan. On you're way out?" I asked, trying to start even the very slightest of a conversation.

He nodded. "I'm going to see Marissa." He answered, smiling weakly. "How're you doing?"

"I can't complain…you?"

"Pretty good." He replied, now smiling fully. "Looking for Seth, I assume?"

I nodded. "Yep, I even brought lemonade…" I trailed off, laughing quietly and holding up a carton of lemonade I'd so conveniently brought with me. "Don't ask."

"Trust me, I wasn't going to." Ryan responded, smirking.

"So, is Seth even home?" I questioned, my eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, he's in the living room…I think. C'mon in." He held the door open.

"Thank you, Ryan." I stated cheerfully, smiling.

"No problem. I've gotta go though – Marissa's probably waiting."

"Have fun." I answered nonchalantly, and watched as he left, waving before closing the door quietly behind him. It was probably the first actual "conversation" Ryan and I had ever shared – the first two times I'd run into him, our greeting was pretty basic and plain.

"Hey." "Hey." "What's up?" "Nothing much, you?" "Same old stuff." "Cool." "Yeah, well I'll see you around."

And then awkward silence, and then one of us waved politely and left. Pretty sad, when you think about it.

Anyways, I quietly headed towards the Cohen's living room, finding Seth silently sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the TV screen in front of him, while holding some kind of a controller in his hand, pressing buttons rapidly. He didn't look up when I entered the room, so I guessed he was consumed in one of his video games.

"Hey Cohen."

"Hey Rach." He answered quickly, his eyes still locked on the screen, his thumb still hitting various buttons on the controller.

I sat down next to him, the carton of lemonade sitting upright next to me. I watched the screen for a minute, trying to figure out what he could possibly be playing. I recognized some of the graphics from some commercial, but it took me a few minutes to think of the name. "Is that Auto Grand Theft?"

"Grand Theft Auto, you mean?" He corrected.

"Whatever."

"Yeah. The new one, too." He responded, hitting some button on the controller, clearly pausing the game, before turning to look at me. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Just…awesome." I said sarcastically, earning a glare from Seth, so I hastily plastered a sweet, tempting smile to my face. "Sorry, but I'm a sucker for flowers, sunsets, and walks on the beach, not video games."

Seth shook his head slowly. "You don't know what you're talking about, Rachel. Video games will rule the world someday…you just watch."

"Seth, you're the weirdest person I've ever met."

"Is that a good thing?" He asked jokingly, smiling slightly.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." I answered, laughing softly. "Anyways," I began, changing the subject. "I brought lemonade." I stated, lifting up the carton of lemonade to show him.

"Aww, you remembered."

"Of course I did!" I exclaimed, almost taken aback.

"Well of course _you _did…I just kinda forgot to make the cookies." Seth admitted, cringing a bit.

I feigned a gasp, biting my bottom lip. "It's _over_ between us." I said jokingly, narrowing my eyes in his direction.

He laughed. "Sorry, Rach."

I shrugged. "I don't even like cookies that much, anyways."

"How can you not like cookies?" He questioned, staring at me incredulously. "They like, hold the universe together!"

"I _like_ cookies, they just aren't my fave. I'd rather have like…ice cream instead. But those awesome Cookie Monster cookies that Mrs. Fields makes are to die for."

He was silent for a second, before a huge grin broke out onto his face. "Eureka, Rachel!"

"What?" I asked, kind of confused, and not sure of what to say.

"We'll go get ice cream as a substitute for cookies." He suggested, still grinning wildly.

I gasped falsely, yet again. "Brilliant, Seth."

He nodded, and turned towards the TV, doing something to save the current game he was playing, and shutting off the game system, which turned out to be a PS2, which he explained to me afterwards. He stood up, and held his hand out to help me up.

I took his hand, using my free hand to grab a hold of the lemonade. "What about this, though?" I asked, after I stood up, and gently dropped his hand.

"Um…put it in the fridge, and we'll drink it when we come back, sound good?"

"Sure thing." I answered, and he led me to the kitchen. I opened the fridge door, and carefully placed the lemonade on one of the various shelves. I closed the fridge, and afterwards, we headed for the front door.

* * *

We ended up by walking to the nearest ice cream store, considering neither of us had a car at the moment. I ordered my favorite, Tiger Tail ice cream – which was orange-flavored ice cream with streaks of black licorice – of course, and Seth was just about to order regular chocolate ice cream before I practically forced him to try some of my ice cream. He simply responded; "WOW. That's good ice cream." and then ordered the same.

After that, we headed for the nearest outdoor bench, and sat down. The bench just happened to have a nice, calming view of the beach (which was surprisingly deserted), so we sat in silence for a minute, eating our ice cream, and watching as the waves rolled in.

"This is probably the best flavor of ice cream I've like, ever had." He commented, breaking the silence.

"I told you so. It's my absolute favorite, but it's pretty rare."

"All I know is that it's damn delicious." Seth answered, grinning.

"Tell me about it." I replied lamely, flipping my hair out of my eyes, before I continuing to eat away at my ice cream. It really _was _good – something I'd definitely have to agree on.

He finished a few minutes before I did, so I guessed he must've enjoyed it. "I think Tiger Tail ice cream is the new sickeningly sweet substance that holds the universe together. Forget cookies, I totally _love_ this ice cream."

I laughed faintly, finally finishing off my ice cream. "Wow…glad to know you like it so much."

"_Like_ it? Rachel, I love it!"

I shook my head. "You're crazy, Cohen." I stated jokingly, glancing over at him.

He smiled. "Yeah, I know…"

"The beach is pretty quiet, huh?" I changed the subject, after sighing heavily, but cheerfully at the same time.

He nodded energetically. "I seriously don't think I've ever seen it so empty."

"We should probably take advantage of the silence and go swimming." I suggested, and then frowned. "But I'm wearing new jeans."

Seth grinned mischievously, glancing over at me. "We could at least go for a walk." He said, and not waiting for an answer, stood up, and practically made a run for the warm, sun-absorbing sand.

I rolled my eyes and stood up as well, walking after him. We took off our shoes and left them in the middle of the beach, walking closer and closer to the water. I rolled up the bottoms of my jeans so that they looked like very stylish capris, and so that I could walk practically into the water without getting my pants wet.

I stared down at the waves as they lapped persistently at my ankles, before looking up, just in time to see Seth run past me, diving into the water, with all of his clothes on. I laughed out loud, shaking my head. What a dork.

He surfaced, grinning madly, and I had to admit – he _did_ look slightly cuter when he was drenched from head to toe. "Come on in, Rach! The water's great!"

"You must've been dropped on your head as a child if you honestly think I'm going to go in with all of my clothes on." I answered stubbornly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Then take your clothes off."

"HA. Nice try, Seth." I rolled my eyes, and didn't move.

"Okay, fine." He finally gave up, and slowly trudged through the water back towards the beach. "I'll just have to _make _you go in." He added hastily, scooping me up into his arms, and practically carrying me into the water. I was laughing hysterically, my face completely red.

"SETH!" I shrieked, through a fit of giggles. "Put me down – now!"

"Has anyone ever told you how cute you look when you're mad?"

"Setttttthhhh!" I whined, trying not to laugh, while ignoring his last comment. "Put me down! I'm already soaked; you don't have to hold me anymore."

"Well if I let you go, you'll either run away _OR_ you could drown." He answered, smiling mischievously.

"I wouldn't drown – I was a lifeguard for three years." I said matter-of-factly, looking up at him.

"So then you'd run away."

"Nooo, I won't!" I protested, whining childishly.

"Do you swear on your love of Tiger Tail ice cream that you won't run away from me?" He asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Yes, Seth."

"All right then." He gave in, setting me down. Thankfully the water where we were wasn't very deep, and I could touch the bottom with ease.

"Thank you!" I said gratefully, staring in disgust at my soaked t-shirt. "Can we go back now?"

"What? We just got here!"

"I'm cold, and my shirt is now officially see-through." I complained, frowning slightly.

Seth sighed, giving in once again. "Fine, but you owe me a trip to the beach."

"Sure." I promised, nodding quickly.

"Do you want me to carry you back to shore, Princess?" He suggested, grinning playfully.

"Oh man…Princess isn't my new nickname, is it?" I groaned, wincing the slightest bit.

"It just might be." And without waiting for my response, he picked me up again, carrying my not only back to the beach, but back to where our shoes were lying.

"Thanks." I said, grinning, and kneeling down to put my shoes on. "I've got my own transportation service just across the street."

Seth laughed gently, waiting until I finished tying my shoelaces before heading back to the concrete sidewalk with me. Well, at least he didn't abandon me. We walked home, taking up only a mere 7 minutes of our time. When we finally arrived back at the Cohen's, we went to the kitchen and drank a ton of lemonade, just as promised.

It turned out to be a good day – and on the even brighter side, _The Valley_ was starting their summer season tonight, and I ended up convincing Seth to watch it.

* * *

**A/N:** Ha. Long chapter, eh? Please review; let me know what you think! It took me like,hours to write it. 


	4. Stonewashed Jeans

**A/N:** Wow, I'm really glad ya'll like it. It's really nice to hear such great review from you guys.

**Reviews:**

**xocourtneyxo: **I'd NEVER rush into things with Seth. I just don't really see him as a very…rushing guy, you know? But something _will _happen in the next chapter, I'm just not going to give it away, just yet.

**DeuCe628: **Summer is actually going to be in this chapter – Marissa too, so don't worry.

**SparkiMonkey: **Wow, thank you so much! And trust me, Summer ISN'T happy.

**Venice Ringirl: **Aw, thanks! I'll continue to update frequently, as long as I'm not horrifically busy. ;D

**wishinonastar: **Thanks a bunch for the great review. :)

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**8:29 AM.**

I glared sleepily at my alarm clock, being very suddenly woken up by some kind of music playing. It took me a few seconds to realize that the music – being my favorite song, of course – was actually my cell phone ringing, and that it was sitting neatly on my night table, since I'd forgotten to move it the night before. I grabbed my cellphone, and flipped it open, answering quickly. "Hello?"

"Hey Princess."

"Cohen! It's like, 8:30! Why are you calling me so early? And more importantly, why are you calling me on my cell phone?" I asked, frowning inwardly.

"Well, uh…I can't remember your home phone number, but I know your cell number." Seth answered blankly. "And I'm bored, that's why I'm calling so early. But when you think about it, it really isn't that early…"

"Seth, you are so weird."

He laughed softly. "Thanks, sugar."

"You have no idea how tempted I am to hang up on you right now." I answered sternly, practically rolling out of bed, walking towards the massive window, pulling back the sheer white curtains, opening the door, and stepping outside onto the balcony.

"No, Rach, don't!" He gasped, before continuing. "I called just to ask if you wanted to come to the mall with Ryan, Marissa, Summer and I…?"

"Like, today?" I asked, raising both eyebrows.

"Yeah, like, today."

"Oh. Uh, sure. I've got to get some more make-up, and come-get-me underwear at Victoria Secret, too."

Seth snickered.

"What?" I whined, pressing a perfect pout to my lips.

"Nevermind…" He replied, trailing off mysteriously.

"It's the Victoria Secret thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He answered simply, and I could just tell he was grinning one of those devilish, Cohen-y grins. The kind of grin that makes you just want to smack him across the face.

"Cohen, you are so immature."

"If I had a nickel for every single time someone said that to me, I'd be a billionaire." He commented thoughtfully.

"That's pretty pathetic, no offense or anything." I answered, faking a sympathetic tone. "So anyways, do you want me to meet you there?"

"Uh, sure. By the front doors, maybe?" He suggested, somewhat casually.

"Sounds good, so what time, exactly?" I asked, turning around, and heading back inside, closing the glass door behind me, and sitting down on my bed.

"How does 12:30 sound?"

"Great. I'll see you then, I guess?" I replied, glancing down at the floor.

"Yeah, see you soon."

"Bye Cohen." I said finally, smiling very faintly to myself.

"Bye Princess."

I hung up.

It took me about two hours to get my butt downstairs for breakfast, and then to take a shower. Afterwards, I applied all of my make-up, and fixed my hair, keeping it fairly straight, with a middle part as I always did. I pulled on my favorite denim mini skirt, the one that looked like it had been cut at the bottom in order to make it shorter. I decided to wear my yellow, fake-vintage Rolling Stones t-shirt. I studied myself in the mirror for a second, making sure every aspect of my attire was positively perfect, before heading for my closet, and pulled out a pair of black Converse high-tops. My outfit probably would've looked better with heels, but I wasn't about to walk around the mall in stilettos for the next 4 hours.

I did a final, supermodel spin in the mirror, and grabbed my purse, heading out of my bedroom, and downstairs.

* * *

As soon as I entered the mall, I was waved over towards the group by Seth, of course. I walked over towards them, smiling with as much friendliness as I could. "Hi!" I greeted cheerfully, glancing from Ryan, to Seth, then to Marissa. I'd met Marissa previously, but I hadn't yet met Summer, even though Seth talked about her almost 24/7.

"Rachel, this is Summer. Summer, this is Rachel." Seth gladly introduced us, and we shook hands.

"Hi, Summer." I said simply, smiling softly.

"Uh, hi Rachel." Summer answered, looking as if she had forced a smile to her face.

"You've met Ryan and Marissa before, right?" Seth asked, both eyebrows raised.

I nodded, turning to the couple. "Hey guys."

The both waved back, and smiled. "Hey Rachel." Marissa replied casually.

There was an awkward silence for a minute or two, no one really sure of what to say. "So, where to first?" Seth piped up, carefully looking from Ryan, to Marissa, then Summer, finally his eyes stopping on me, and he smiled weakly. I wasn't sure, but I think he could tell, _somehow_, that I was in an unbelievably awkward position.

I shrugged, Ryan shrugged, and Summer gave a pouty frown, clearly showing that she didn't care even the slightest bit, as long as she wasn't going to be dragged to Wal-Mart. "Abercrombie is having a sale this week," Marissa suggested, shrugging as well. "And they've got some really nice sweats there."

Seth groaned. "Abercrombie? Oh, come _on_…"

"Seth, Abercrombie is _wicked_! Have you ever even been there?" I asked, looking at him with great disbelief.

"No, but still…"

I smirked. "Come on, you might even like it!"

Seth frowned, and sighed, but didn't say anything in response.

"Let's go then!" Summer exclaimed energetically, spinning on her heel and marching off in the direction of Abercrombie, Marissa very closely in tow. Ryan followed them, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. I stayed behind, grabbing Seth by the wrist, and practically dragging him towards the store.

"Rach…I really don't like that store…" He whined, but I dragged him inside anyways, over towards the men's section.

"Seth, just try these jeans on." I grabbed a pair of fashionable, stonewashed jeans, and thrust them into his arms. Marissa and Summer were off probably trying clothes on by now, and Ryan was walking around, very casually glancing over at a few t-shirts that caught his eye.

"But Raaaachellll…" He complained, sending me a heart-melting puppy dog look.

I looked away, shaking my head. "Just try the jeans on, Cohen. It seriously won't hurt you." I dragged him over to where the dressing rooms were. "Now go, or I'll lock you in there with even MORE clothes."

"If you locked me in there, you'd literally have to be in the dressing room with me – you can't lock it from outside." He replied matter of factly, grinning devilishly.

I rolled my eyes. "Seth, go!" I pushed him towards the room, and he reluctantly entered, closing and locking the door behind him.

He came out a minute later, wearing the jeans. I smiled with satisfaction. "See? Don't they look great?" I asked, and truthfully, they _did _look pretty nice on him. He simply didn't reply, but I could see a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Okay, now do a supermodel spin." He looked at me for a second, before spinning around slowly, with little to none enthusiasm.

"Can I change now, Rach?" He asked in a whiny tone, looking down in disgust at the jeans he was wearing.

I nodded, and waited for him to come back out before we went to the women's section, and he just carelessly walked around, visibly bored out of his mind.

"Cohen, do you like this skirt?" Summer held up a denim skirt, fairly close to the one I was wearing, asking for fashion advice from her much-loved boyfriend.

"Gorgeous, Sum." Seth answered, smiling brightly down at Summer.

"And what about this tank top?" She continued, arching an eyebrow. I looked away just then, turning my attention suddenly to a very cute, cropped denim jacket. It probably would've looked great with my skirt, but I walked past it, looking through the sweatpants that Marissa had raved about. They were comfortable, I had to admit.

A while later, we left the store, and Seth _did _end up by getting the jeans. Ryan got a few t-shirts that Marissa claimed made him look "completely and adorably hot", Summer practically bought out the entire store, Marissa stuck to a nice pair of low-rise jeans and a cute zip-up sweater, while I picked up the sweatpants I liked, the cropped jacket, a pair of jeans, and an lovable olive-green pullover. We headed straight for the food court, but Seth stopped along the way to look at a few video games, and Summer stopped to admire a sweet pair of Jimmy Choos. We picked out a table in the food court, and pretty much just sat down, resting our tired feet, talking pointlessly.

"So," Summer began, looking in my direction. "Do you miss New York, much?"

I shrugged slightly. "I guess a part of me misses it, but it's refreshing to be away from home, you know what I mean?"

She nodded slowly, placing a sickeningly sweet smile to her face. "I totally understand. What've you been doing lately?"

"Basically just hanging out with Seth – he pretty much lives right across the street."

"Yeah, he told me." Summer flipped her hair vainly, still smiling in a sugary fashion. She exchanged glances with Marissa, who was sitting across from her, listening vaguely to the conversation. "He's usually pretty fun."

I opened my mouth to say something in response, but Seth interrupted. "So, what next?" He asked, directing her question to the entire group.

"Home? If we don't leave soon, we'll probably end up at Wal-Mart, or something." Summer said, grimacing slightly, even at the sheer mention of Wal-Mart.

Seth shrugged, and looked at everyone else. They seemed fine with the idea, so we all got up. "All right." He gave up, yawning quietly.

"It was nice meeting you, Summer." I said, picking up my bags, and smiling warmly.

"It was great, Rachel." She answered back, grinning fakely, it seemed.

I brushed my dark hair out of my eyes, and waved. "I'll see you guys around." I said finally, adjusting the straps to my Louis Vuitton purse.

Ryan, Marissa and Summer all waved. "Bye Rach." Ryan said, smiling weakly.

Seth smiled as well. "Thanks for the fashion advice, I'll see you soon…Princess." He laughed quietly, waving humorously.

"Byyyyeeee!" I called, walking towards the exit, glancing over my shoulder and waving, before officially exiting the mall. That was probably one of the most awkward mall experiences in my entire life, but I had to admit, it was pretty fun – and forcing Seth into those fancy Abercrombie jeans and actually succeeding simply made my day. I headed for the parking lot, unlocking my car, a small smile glued to my face.

* * *

**A/N:** Did you like it? The next chapter is going to take a while – I'm pretty busy for the next to days. Hopefully, it'll give me time to make it REALLY good. Please review! 


	5. Garden or Caesar?

**A/N:** I'm really, really, REALLY sorry it took this long to get this Chapter up. I've been pretty busy this weekend, and I apologize greatly to all of my faithful reviewers. :D

**Reviews:**

**xocourtneyxo: **Aw, thanks! I love Seth too.

**DeuCe628: **Thank you, AGAIN! It's really great hearing from you after every chapter. It really encourages me to continue. :)

**SparkiMonkey: **Yeah, now, reading over my last chapter, Summer should've been more Summer-like. I might fix it later. But anyways, it's pretty much the middle of summer at this point in the story, so somewhere down the line they might go back to school, if I skip like a month. And there DEFINITELY will be some sort of a Ryan/Rachel friendship sometime soon. I'm not positive about Marissa yet, but just wait and see.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Rain.

Well, thunder, lighting _and _rain. It wasn't the nicest scene when you looked out the window; dark, dull clouds hanging threateningly in the sky, heavy rain streaking violently from underneath. The roar of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning that lit up the sky. I winced, grimacing as I looked miserably out the window, before flopping gloomily down onto my bed. I stared up at the plain, white ceiling, listening to the harsh sound of rain bouncing off the roof. I was bored out of my mind, and you could easily tell. I had plans to go to the beach and get a nice, golden tan, but then it started raining.

Damn it.

I sighed, closing my eyes for a second. I needed to think of something to do – it was already close to 5:30 PM, and I'd basically been moping around the house the entire day, eating popsicles and drinking Grape Kool-Aid. Not exactly nutritious, but I was too lazy to make myself a proper lunch.

I stood up, walking downstairs and into the living room, picking up the cordless phone. I dialed Seth's home phone number, letting it ring about four times before finally hanging up. I turned to look out the window, staring up at the grey sky. I looked across the street, over towards the Cohen residence. I blinked a few times, my eyebrows raised. Their lights were on, so why weren't they answering the phone? I mean, if it were a nice, hot sunny day, I could understand that they'd be outside or something, but would they really be out on a day like _today_? Well, being Miss Rachelle Jade Summerfield, I was determined to find out. I grabbed my shoes, pulled on my black sweater-coat, before grasping my pink umbrella, and heading out the door.

I crossed the street, walking nonchalantly up to the Cohen's house. I was almost halfway to the door, before I stopped. Seth was sitting outside, on his front steps, soaking wet, staring at his shoes, his head in his hands. I blinked about seven times, quietly walking up to him. "Cohen?"

"Hey Princess." He looked up, smiling weakly.

"Did you lock yourself out?" I asked, watching him carefully.

He shook his head. "No…just sitting."

"In the rain? You must be freezing!" I sat down on the step next to him, holding the umbrella over his head too.

He shrugged. "Not really." He was suspiciously quiet and depressed – completely un-Cohen like.

"So like, who died?" I asked, glancing at him cautiously, studying the miserable look in his normally bright hazel eyes.

He smirked. "No one, Princess."

"Call me that again, and I'll seriously kick your ass."

"Sorry," He winced apologetically, biting his bottom lip. "But you still think I'm special, right?"

I stared at him for a second. "Yeah…" I trailed off, both eyebrows raised in slight confusion.

He smiled slightly, but didn't say anything in reply.

"So seriously, what happened?" I asked, my eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Nothing really." He responded, clearly not telling the truth.

"Tellll meeee!" I whined pleadingly, wanting to know, but not trying to be _too _inquisitive.

"You'll think I'm a complete loser if I tell you." He answered stubbornly, looking back down at the ground for a moment, before glancing up at me.

"Honestly, Cohen, if I thought you were a complete loser, I wouldn't even bother coming over here." I replied, with an almost sarcastic-sounding, matter-of-fact tone.

"Summer broke up with me." He gushed, rather suddenly, frowning faintly.

I simply sat there, letting each word sink in. "Summer…broke up with you?" I repeated out loud, still trying to grasp the meaning. "OH MY GOD, COHEN!" I exclaimed, finally getting it.

He nodded slowly, sighing gloomily.

"But…you guys are Seth and Summer! You're like, cookies and milk! You go together _so well_!" I said, my jaw dropping slightly. It was still pretty hard to believe, but it did explain Seth's unusual behavior.

"Now it's Zach and Summer…again."

I gasped, but then realized I had no idea who the hell Zach was. "Who's Zach?"

"Summer's ex-boyfriend." Seth answered dejectedly, glaring down at the concrete ground yet again.

"Aww." I mused sympathetically, my head tilted to the side slightly.

He didn't say anything, and kept his eyes locked on the pavement, watching as the rain fell more aggressively every minute. He shivered, the cold finally getting to him.

"Cohen, you're going to like, catch a cold or something if you stay out here any longer."

He shrugged limply, looking up at me for a minute, before gazing down at his shoes, with an almost self-conscious impression. "I'm all right."

"No, you aren't." I replied firmly. I couldn't just let him sit out here, and I wouldn't. "Seth, come on."

He sighed, and stood up, holding out a hand to help me up too. I kind of took his gesture by surprise, but I grasped his hand and stood up as well. I closed my umbrella, and left it outside, next to the front door, while Seth opened the door, escorting me inside the amazingly quiet house. He closed the door, and stood there for a minute, his hands now shoved neatly in his pocket, before kicking off his shoes. "Come, Rach. I'll show you the Death Cab poster I was talking about yesterday."

I nodded, following him to where ever he was headed. "Didn't you mention that last week, when we went to the mall? You know, when we walked past the music store?"

Seth shrugged. "Yeah, maybe. I must've told you twice…?" He opened the door to what I came to realize was his bedroom, and walked towards one side of the room. "Here's the poster." He pointed to a large, glossy poster mounted on his wall, smiling with the slightest bit of pride. It was pretty impressive; probably one of those limited edition ones.

"Wow. That's probably just as awesome as the Orlando Bloom poster I have in _my_ room."

Seth gasped humorously. "Orlando Bloom? How could you?"

"Face it, he's hot." I admitted, laughing at the falsely shocked expression on Seth's face.

Seth shook his head, chuckling to himself, while walking over to his dresser. "You're crazy."

I gazed up at the poster, running a hand through my hair. Death Cab for Cutie probably wasn't one of my favorite bands, but they weren't bad, either. I smiled inwardly, turning back around to face Seth. My jaw dropped; I couldn't help it. Seth was standing by his dresser, shirtless (still wearing his jeans however), absently going through one of his drawers, looking for a fresh, dry t-shirt. He obviously hadn't noticed me looking at him, and if he did, he really didn't care much. "Seth Cohen has a body!" I exclaimed teasingly, grinning in an amused fashion.

He looked at me, slightly surprised, and stopped searching through his drawers. His cheeks flushed the lightest of a pink shade, and he tried desperately to hide the huge, possibly embarrassed smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Well, at least he was _smiling_. He touched the back of his neck, looking down at the floor for a second. He glanced back up, pulling out an olive green, fake-vintage t-shirt, with some sort of a car logo on the front, and some sort of a silly saying I couldn't quite make out from where I was standing. He threw the t-shirt down on his bed, biting his bottom lip.

I walked towards him, a playful smile gracing my lips, looking up at him intently. He stared back at me, his eyes locked on mine. I gently pressed my hands against his toned stomach, before wrapping my arms around his neck. He leaned forward slightly, his nose touching mine. Being the dork I was, however, I started laughing, and backed away, flopping down onto his bed. "You _so _want me." I mused aloud, still laughing softly.

He began laughing too, ignoring what I'd said it seemed, before grabbing his t-shirt, and pulling it on over his head. He fell back onto the bed next to me, staring up at the ceiling. I turned, rolling over to my side, looking at him. He turned his head, looking back at me curiously. "I still can't get over the fact that you've got abs, Cohen." I said, smiling in a teasing manner.

He blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I shook my head, still smiling. "Nothing." I answered, watching as he rolled his eyes. He sat up, yawning tiredly.

"Do you wanna stay for dinner?" He asked, glancing back at me.

I sat up, flicking my hair out of my eyes. "My aunt and uncle are probably expecting me…" I responded, trailing off.

The brief sparkle in Seth's eyes seemed to have faded, but maybe it was just the lighting. "Oh. Well, that's all right."

"Why, are you home alone or something?"

"Yeah, sort of. Ryan's out with Marissa, and my parents – both of my parents – are working late tonight." He replied, blinking calmly.

I sighed, sitting up as well. "I guess I could stay, but probably not long after."

"Yay!" Seth grinned triumphantly, and jumped off the bed. "C'mon, you can help me pick dinner – you don't necessarily want cold Thai food, do you?"

* * *

It turned out that most of the Cohen's fridge ended up being the remainders of a Thai feeding frenzy, and that the rest of it's contents were simply an array of vegetables, bottled water and 2 milk. I turned to him, after taking a brief, 5-second glance at the fridge. "Gosh, Cohen, you seriously need to go grocery shopping."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. So, what do you want for dinner? Salad and…" He trailed off, searching through the refrigerator. "Bottled water?"

I laughed, nodding. "Sounds…wonderful."

"Garden or Caesar salad – you pick."

I loved them both, so it took me a second to figure out which one would be best. "Garden? It's classy _and_ refreshing."

Seth blinked, and then shook his head. "You're describing a type of salad? And you think I'm the crazy one…" He dug into the fridge, retrieving the ingredients to make a perfect salad; lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, and a few more random vegetables.

"Do you need help?" I asked, arching an eyebrow in a questionable manner.

"Washing and chopping up vegetables? Thanks Rach, but no thanks. I may not know how to make a five-star, gourmet Italian meal, but I'm pretty good with salad." Seth answered, winking childishly. "Here, go watch some TV, it'll take me a minute." He handed me a remote for the television in the living room, smiling softly.

I gently took the controller, and nodded. "Why do you have the remote in your kitchen, Cohen?"

He shrugged in response, and I headed nonchalantly out of the kitchen, instantly stepping into the living room. His TV was fairly similar to the one my aunt and uncle had, so it was pretty easy to figure out how to turn it on, and how to change the channel. I sat down on the comfortable, soft couch, flicking on an interesting episode of _That '70s_ _Show_. Along with _Friends_, it was one of my favorite sitcoms.

"RAAAAAAAACHEL!"

I practically jumped once hearing my name being called, and turned off the TV promptly. I stood up, placing the controller on the coffee table in front of the sofa, heading back into the kitchen.

"Dinner. Is. Served." He suavely pronounced each word like it was it's own sentence, and gestured to the dining table. Just like he had promised, a delicious-looking garden salad was set up neatly in the middle of the table, accompanied by some low fat Zesty Italian salad dressing, and two salt and pepper shakers. The silverware was sparkling delicately from the soft lighting overhead, and water was poured into two floral-imprinted glasses.

"Aww, Cohen, it's so pretty!" I cooed, sitting down on one of the six chairs that surrounded the long table.

He smiled, piling some salad onto his plate, adding a quick dash of both salt and pepper, and then finally garnishing the healthy meal with a fair amount of salad dressing.

I followed his gesture, but left out the pepper part. I had always adored salt, but I'd never really been a "pepper person". I poked at the food for a second, before finally tasting it. I blinked. It was _really_ good. The lettuce was fresh and crisp; the grape tomatoes exploded with flavor in your mouth, and the cucumber was just…perfect. I finished chewing my first forkful of the salad, before swallowing. "WOW, this is really good. Like, since when are you such a good chef?"

He scooped some of the salad on his plate into his mouth, and shrugged limply. He chewed, swallowed, and then opened his mouth. "I'm a natural, can't you tell?" He joked, taking a quick sip of his water.

I rolled my eyes, politely eating the rest of my salad. It only took me a few minutes to completely finish off my dinner, and it was really delicious. I'd eaten in a lot of fancy restaurants while staying in New York, but this was probably top five on the salad rating. I drank some of my water, before gently setting the glass down on the table.

"So, I guess you really liked it?" He asked, standing up, and picking up my plate, placing it on top of his, considering he'd already finished.

I nodded vividly, and stood up as well, deciding I'd help him out. "It was mouth-watering."

He chuckled slightly. "Was it 10/10 good?"

"No, definitely an 11/10." I answered, picking up the salt and pepper, along with the salad dressing, carrying them into the kitchen, putting the dressing in fridge, and placing the salt and pepper shakers on the counter, where they were before dinner.

"Wow, and this is coming from a girl who's spent her entire life in heart of NYC. I feel _very _loved."

I smiled gladly, and headed back to the dining room, gingerly picking up the empty glasses, and placing them very gently in the dishwasher. Seth followed, putting the silverware and the two plates in the dishwasher as well, before finally sighing with an accomplished air.

I glanced down at my wrist, studying my watch for a minute. I still probably wasn't expected back for another half an hour, so I glanced back up at Seth. "So, now what?"

He shrugged. "We could play video games…" He trailed off cunningly, glancing over his shoulder, towards the entrance leading directly to the living room.

I sighed, knowing I'd regret my decision later. I groaned, looking up at the ceiling, before glancing back at Seth, who had a sweet, exceedingly hopeful look on his face. "All right…just not that dumb Auto Grand Theft thing, or something like, Star Wars." I shuddered, the sheer thought of Star Wars sending chills down my spine. I was too geeky for words.

"How does Spiderman sound?" He asked, both eyebrows raised. I couldn't really tell what he was thinking – maybe he was just over-exaggerating a simple question, but then again, he might also have been surprised that I actually agreed to play one of those stupid PS2 games. Maybe even both.

I grinned. "Spiderman? I love Spiderman!"

He blinked, staring at me in a surprised fashion. "Really?"

"Yes, really! I used to read the comics all the time when I was eleven."

He gasped. "You read comic books?"

"Well, I used to read them." I answered, shrugging lightly.

A grin broke onto his face, and he grabbed my hand, dragging me to the living room. "Come on!" He reminded me somewhat of an eight-year-old, his eyes sparkling anxiously.

* * *

It was almost impossibly hard to play that demented game. I kept hitting the wrong buttons, and I got so frustrated my cheeks would turn red. Cohen laughed at me, of course, commenting on how stylishly "cute" I looked when I was annoyed.

Finally, I gave up, and thrust the controller into his hand. "I'm never, ever, ever, ever, forever playing this game again." I winced, glaring at the TV screen. I wasn't patient enough to endure even another five seconds of playing this stupid game. They completely ruined Spiderman for me. I stood up, and yawned. "Cohen, I've gotta go." I admitted, glancing down at my watch.

He nodded solemnly, turning off the PS2, and following me to the front door. I knelt down to tie my shoes, but looked up at him a few times while doing so. "Thanks for staying with me, Rach."

I smiled inwardly, standing up after successfully making sure my shoelaces were perfectly and pristinely tied. "Thanks for dinner." I answered, flipping my thick, dark brown hair over one shoulder, seeing as how it had fallen into my face.

He nodded again, a soft smile lingering on his lips. "I'll see ya soon, Princess."

I didn't react; I simply shook my head, and turned towards the door, stepping outside with a final farewell wave. I headed down the driveway, hearing the door softly close behind me.

* * *

**A/N: **Did you all like it? Please let me know, and I'll probably fix this up sometime down the road. I was kind of rushing to get it to you guys, so let me know what you think. :) 


	6. Blissful Eternity

**A/N:** I'm really, really, REALLY sorry it took this long to get this Chapter up. I've been pretty busy this weekend, and I apologize greatly to all of my faithful reviewers. :D

**Reviews:**

**xocourtneyxo: **You've reviewed every single chapter I've written! You should like win an award. Thank you VERY much!

**DeuCe628: **Wow, you should win an award too! Thanks!

**SparkiMonkey: **OMG you made a list of everything you liked about Chapter Five. You deserve to win an award for being the best list-maker ever! _Friends _and _That '70s Show_ are my favorite shows too; along with _Desperate Housewives_, _One Tree Hill_, _The Simpsons_…basically most comedies and/or dramas. Thanks again for reviewing.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

I loved taking long, heated showers first thing in the morning - usually only about twenty minutes after I'd woken up. Maybe it was the steam from the shower - a warm, soothing blanket of luxury that I loved. Maybe it was the soft scent of my girly shampoo and exotic body wash that was oh-so-calming. It definitely woke me up, and I'd never drink that much coffee. It didn't really matter; there was nothing like the fresh feeling first thing in the morning.

I stood vainly in front of the large, sparkling mirror just above the sink in my bathroom, basically drying my hair, and brushing it like I always did; straight with a soft middle part. I'd already brushed my teeth, and put on my make-up, which turned out to be eyeliner, mascara, blush and a swipe of clear, peach lip gloss. Not that much, but it was a daily routine. I was simply wearing a towel that covered my chest, all the way down to just above my knees. I held it securely with one hand, fixing my hair, applying make-up and brushing my teeth with the other. I glanced reassuringly in the mirror for a final time, before opening the door, stepping into my room. I immediately rolled my eyes.

Seth was lying on my bed, reading one of my _Teen People_ magazines, a plastic, toy horse sitting next to him, along with a sketchbook and a pencil. He obviously hadn't realized I'd entered my room, but after a couple of seconds, he looked up, closing the magazine, and grinning widely once spotting me in a clean, white towel. I tightened my grip, thanking God that the towel was covering my feminine parts.

"WOW. Rach, that's a really great look for you – probably one of the sexiest outfits I've seen you in yet." He said teasingly, winking temptingly.

"Why am I not surprised you're here?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Probably 'cause I called you about thirty minutes ago, and told you I'd pick you up so we could go to the beach." He answered matter-of-factly, still watching me carefully, the smile still spread across his features.

"You also said you'd be by LATER." I shook my head, walking towards the bed. I picked up my magazine, folding it in half, gently, playfully smacking him across the face. I didn't hit him hard, and he began laughing quietly. "Seth, get outta here. Let me get dressed, and I'll be down in a second."

"Aw, Rach…it's just skin. Can't I stay?"

I tossed my magazine onto my nightstand. "Cohennnn." I whined stubbornly, pointing to my bedroom door with the hand that wasn't holding up the towel.

He sighed, picking up his sketchbook and his toy horse. "Fine. But you're really, really mean, just so you know." He stood up, walking slowly towards the door.

"What's with the horse, anyways?" I asked curiously, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, this is Captain Oats." He began, smiling cheekily. "He says hey to the pretty lady in the towel."

I couldn't help but laugh, looking up at the ceiling for a minute. "Seth, get out."

He nodded, his cheeky smile turning into a more falsely innocent one. He then began singing "Get Out" by JoJo under his breath, closing the door as he exited the room. He wasn't that great of a singer, but at least he knew his music.

I shook my head, walking over to my dresser, looking for my teeny yellow bikini. As Seth had said, we had plans to go down to the beach, and then probably to the pier, so I decided instead of going into the water with jeans and a see-through t-shirt again, I'd put my swimsuit on with my clothes overtop. I wore my bikini, also pulling on a pair of curve-hugging, washed out jeans and a matching yellow halter top. I ran my fingers through my hair, brushing a few stray strands out of my hazel eyes, and heading for my door. It didn't take me very long to get dressed, but I'm sure Seth was anxiously waiting anyways. I stopped, spinning around and picking up Princess Passion off the top of my vanity desk. I admired her bright, bubblegum pink mane for a second, before completely and officially exiting my bedroom.

I walked down the stairs, finding Seth in the living room, intently watching TV. _The Simpsons_ was on, and he seemed very interested. He glanced over in my direction, and blinked. "Hey," He began, waving his hand in greeting. He studied me for a moment, before smiling softly. "I still like the towel." He admitted jokingly.

I ignored his comment, rolling my eyes yet again. I held out Princess Passion, walking to the couch, sitting down next to him. "I thought Captain Oats might like to meet Princess Passion."

Seth's smile transformed into a wide grin. Captain Oats was seated on the coffee table, next to the sketchbook Seth had brought along, facing the TV. "Ooooh. Captain Oats has a new friend to hang out with. Sweeeeeeet."

I placed Princess Passion down next to Captain Oats, smiling sweetly. "Princess Passion likes Captain Oats already." I glanced over at Seth, who was still beaming.

"Well, Captain Oats likes Princess Passion just as much." He answered, nodding slowly. "We should probably leave them here and head to the beach – they need some private bonding time…" He trailed off, realizing how completely stupid it sounded.

I chuckled, and stood up. "C'mon, let's go." I headed for the door, expecting Seth to follow. He nodded again, and stood up as well, following me out the front door.

* * *

It took us a few minutes to successfully make it too the beach, which was fairly deserted. A few people were tanning on the wide stretch of sand, but other than that, it wasn't crowded like you'd normally expect.

We stepped onto the hot, soft sand, and Seth winced. I glanced over at him, arching an eyebrow. He caught my gaze, and smiled weakly. "The sand is _really _hot." He stated truthfully, looking down at his feet.

I giggled girlishly. "Cohen, stop being such a baby!"

He grinned softly, sitting down in the middle of the beach; a perfect distance away from the water. He hugged his knees, pulling them towards his chest, staring distantly out towards the ocean. "I'm not a baby – I'm just very affected by sudden temperature change." He replied defensively, glancing over at me briefly.

I sat down next to him, leaning back, my hands behind me, holding me up. I laughed quietly at his weak excuse. "Oh, really?"

"Yeahhhh, really." He retorted childishly, squinting in the bright sunlight.

I shook my head, not saying anything in response.

"Rach," Seth began, glancing back towards the water, before turning back to me.

"Yeah?"

"I'm bored." He said flatly, as if expecting me to think up something exceptionally entertaining in the next five seconds.

I yawned. "Let's go swimming then."

He jumped up, kicking off his sandals, and pulling his shirt off over his head excitedly. He tossed his shirt down on the sand, waiting for me before heading towards the water.

Ha. He was shirtless – again. I looked away, for a second, before unbuttoning my jeans, and pulling them off, and then lifting up my halter top, revealing my teeny yellow bikini. I threw my clothes down next to his, glancing over in his direction.

He smiled another one of his Cohen-y smiles, eying me up and down, visibly amused. He cleared his throat, glancing away, and looking down at the sand.

I rolled my eyes, and walked towards the water, Seth following. I stepped into the salty ocean, and then jumped backwards. Seth cast me a questioning look, before running full out into the water. He surfaced, grinning wildly. "C'mon, Rach…don't make me have to carry you in again."

I crossed my arms over my chest, kicking at the water. I sighed, and then waded into the water a little further, before completely diving in. I surfaced, standing up. I pulled my now completely soaked, dark brown hair out of my eyes, turning to look at Seth.

"See, it's not _that_ bad." He said, walking towards me.

I smiled slightly. "I never said it was bad. It's just…cold."

He blinked incredulously. "You're kidding right?"

I shook my head vividly.

"You're crazy, then."

I smiled mischievously. "No I'm not." I replied defensively, playfully punching him.

"Ohhh, yes you are." He replied, studying the playful expression on my face, grinning childishly.

"Cohen, shut up." I said bluntly, stepping closer towards him.

Seth winced. "It's true," He began. "You're positively…crazy." He lowered his voice now, speaking softly.

Our eyes locked for a second, my smile fading.

"You've got _beautiful_ eyes…" He commented gently.

I delicately shook my head, but kept my eyes locked on his.

He leaned in, our foreheads touching, his body pressed against mine. My heart was pounding ferociously, my hands now resting on his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around me soothingly, and finally kissed me – again, and again and again. His kisses were gentle and romantic; rocking my senses. I kissed him back, plunging deeper, more passionately into every kiss.

After what seemed like a blissful eternity, I pulled away, unlocking my lips from his. I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Wow…I wish I could stay like this forever." He said gently, still holding me in his arms.

"Me too." I replied truthfully, sighing longingly.

A few seconds passed before he finally spoke again. We both enjoyed the silence. "Let me take you out for lunch – the Crab Shack, maybe?" He suggested, practically whispering in my ear.

I smiled. "Sounds great."

* * *

After lunch, and another long walk down the beach, we sat down by the pier, on one of the various, empty docks. I rolled up the bottoms of my jeans, turning them into makeshift capris as I oh-so-often did. We sat on the very edge of the dock, our feet in the water. I lightheartedly kicked at the rippling waves, staring out at the sailboat-sprinkled horizon. Seth sat closely next to me, his shoulder brushing against mine in an adoring manner. It was about sunset now; the day gone by so quickly.

"Don't you just love sunsets?" I asked, glancing over in Seth's directions.

He nodded, smiling softly. "They remind me of you."

I arched an eyebrow. "How, exactly?"

"They're beautiful, just like you."

"That was _really _cheesy, Cohen." I said, rolling my eyes slightly, but I couldn't help but blush the slightest bit. Maybe he wouldn't notice against the stunning, golden reflection the sun was casting. "But…sweet, in a way."

He grinned. "I knew you'd like that."

I shook my head, sighing dreamily. "Cohen, shut up."

"You've said that twice today." He pointed out.

"And yet you still don't get it." I commented teasingly, smiling with a mischievous air.

He smiled, kissing my forehead, then my nose, and finally my lips. I smiled inwardly, giggling giddily. "Would you let me walk you home?" He asked.

I nodded. "Of course."

"Great." He stood up, putting on his shoes, then offering a hand to help me up.

I gratefully took his hand, slipping on my flip-flop sandals. "Let's go then."

* * *

It took us about ten minutes to get back to my house, but it seemed like a lot less. We stopped at my front door, and I turned, opening the door. My Aunt and Uncle were home by now – it was nearly 8:30PM.

I smiled, leaning gently up against the door. "That was fun, Cohen…we should do that more often." I said honestly.

He smiled back, very simply.

I opened the door completely, stepping inside the house. "See ya later."

He waved, then waited a few seconds. "Hang on – no goodnight kiss?"

I laughed, practically jumping into his arms, embracing him into a powerful, energetic kiss. I pulled away, smiling brightly. "I was waiting for you to say that."

He laughed slightly, letting me go. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said, kissing my forehead one final time.

"Definitely." I waved, walking back into the house, gently closing the door behind me. I sighed cheerfully, running a hand through my hair. I honestly felt like dancing, right there in the middle of the entrance hall. I had more self-control than that, though, but I was tremendously happy – and not to mention excited.

Maybe this time I'd _finally_ found my own Prince Charming.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you like it. :D

I'll make sure Chapter 7 gets updated ASAP – and again, sorry it took so long to get this chapter up.


	7. I'll Be There For You

**A/N:** You guys probably hate me. I haven't written anything in like, forever. So sorry, y'all…my computer needed to be fixed, then I got grounded. Busy week for me! xD

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

If anyone who didn't know me came through my front door, their immediate reaction would have something to do with how completely insane I was. I was lying in the kitchen, sprawled out on the cold floor, staring blankly up at the ceiling. The back of my right hand was pressed dramatically against my forehead for no particular reason, my hair in limp, wavy curls that cascaded across my shoulders. I was trying to stay cool; the heat was so intense outside it almost made you faint.

I sighed over-exaggeratedly, sitting up. I kept my gaze locked on the ceiling for a minute, before turning to look over at the dishwasher next to the refrigerator. I realized quickly that the phone was ringing relentlessly, so I stood up rapidly, rushing to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Princess!" I recognized the voice instantly.

"Cohen!" I squealed excitedly, smiling softly to myself. "What's up?"

"Nothing. And I seriously mean _NOTHING_. I'm so booooooored."

I laughed. "Come over here, then."

"What? No way! I'll shrivel up like a prune in this heat – you come over here." Seth complained.

"So you're going to let me face the heat? What a gentleman." I responded sarcastically, leaning up against the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"I've got sparkling grape juice…" He tempted.

"I've got Kool-Aid."

He muttered something under his breath. "Well, I've also just ordered the best Chinese food in town that needs to be shared – your favorite too."

"Mmm…sounds so romantic." I said teasingly. "All right, I'll be over in five minutes."

"See you soon, then." He said, a cheerful tone to his voice.

"Bye Cohen."

We both hung up.

* * *

I brushed my teeth, styled my hair, and quickly slipped on a pair of lavender-colored flip-flop sandals before finally heading out the door. The air was still; no cooling breeze today. I sharply quickened my pace, dreading I'd melt in the intense heat. I reached the Cohen's front door, knocking twice. I waited a second, before Seth abruptly opened the door.

"Good morning!" Seth exclaimed, welcoming me inside the house, closing the door suavely behind me.

"Cohen, it's like 4:00 PM, what are you talking about?"

He smiled, wrapping his arms around me. "Anything you want me to be talking about."

I couldn't help but smile, my hands on his shoulders. "Oh, really--" He pressed a passionate kiss to my lips, completely interrupting me. I then realized I didn't have anything more important to say in response, so I kissed him back, afterwards pulling away, resting my forehead on his shoulder.

He sighed softly, now loosely wrapping his arms around my waist.

"What's the matter?" I asked, speaking softly. I didn't really want to ruin the perfectly quiet moment.

"Just thinking."

"About what?" I asked, lifting my head, and looking up at him in fair concern.

He shrugged. "Everything, basically."

I stared at him. "…Everything?"

He nodded quickly. "My grandfather, my mom…you."

I continued to stare at him questioningly.

"All right, I'll explain in a second. But we've got to sit down, 'cause I've been standing all morning."

I smirked, shaking my head. I didn't want to know. "Okay." I said simply, turning around, and he released me from his grip. "Where to?"

"My room is probably the most comfortable place." He answered, winking jokingly.

I rolled my eyes in a silent response, walking slowly towards the staircase. But he stopped me, gently grasping my wrist. I turned around briskly, looking at him in confusion. He carefully pulled me towards him, and then quickly lifted me up into his arms. One arm was supporting my waist, the other arm underneath my knees. I wrapped my arms around his neck for support, still watching him with bewilderment. I smiled though, kissing him softly. "You're so romantic, Cohen." I placed one hand on his cheek, watching as he smiled. God, I loved his smile.

"I knew you'd like it." He replied, clearly amused, and carried me up the stairs.

"You sure I'm not too heavy?"

He shook his head vividly, still smiling. "Of course not, Rachel – you're as light as a feather."

I smiled back at him, shaking my head. "Yeah, right."

He chuckled softly, and once we reached his room, he carefully set me down on the bed. He sat down next to me, draping one arm over my shoulders. I rested my chin on his shoulder, and he gently pushed my hair back, out of my eyes. I liked how he did that; stroking my cheek and brushing my dark, almost wavy hair out of my eyes with such a look of loving admiration on his face.

"All right, so explain that thing you were gonna explain." I said, cuddling closer to him, ready to listen.

"Oh, right." He nodded. "Weeeeeell…at the beginning of the summer, my grandfather died. I've been thinking about him a lot lately…I guess I really miss him." He paused, and I nodded softly, listening intently. My heart ached for him. "After that…well - my dad thinks before that – my mom started drinking – like, a lot. So, she got enrolled in rehab. She's coming home this weekend, actually."

I lifted my head. "Aww, Cohen, you poor baby!" I exclaimed, frowning sympathetically. I was concerned for him and felt horrible that all this could happen in just a matter of days. It was strange how such bad things always happened to good people.

He sighed in response. "I guess it really hasn't hit me that hard yet. I was depressed the first few days, but then I kinda just pushed it away. It'll probably come back to me someday, though." I winced, kissing him softly, sympathetically.

I wasn't sure what to say though, so I kept quiet. He didn't seem to mind much.

Finally, I broke the silence. "Cohen, just know that you've always got a shoulder to lean on, no matter what happens. Trust me; I'll be there for you." I promised truthfully, "I'll always be there for you."

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry I made you guys wait so long. It's kinda short, 'cause I just wanted to get it out there. Hope you guys like it, and I'll update soon! 


	8. Wedding Bell Blues

**A/N:** You guys are awesome! You still review even after like, 2 weeks of waiting! You rock! xD

I won't be doing separate reviews this time, but in Chapter Nine I most definitely will. I'd like to thank you ALL so much for reviewing so loyally – you're comments are what keep me writing the story! I'll continue until the end, and I have plans for a sequel if all goes well. Thanks again!

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Spa days were exhausting - calming and serene, but definitely exhausting.

I'd spent the past four-and-a-half hours out at the spa, accompanied by Marissa of course, for a full set of manicures, pedicures and about five different massages. We talked – a lot – mostly about school, boys (more specifically Seth and Ryan), and a whole bunch of other girly nonsense.

When I got back to the house, no one was home, but Charlie of course. The over-sized golden retriever ran to the front door, wagging his tail excitedly. I smiled, patting the top of Charlie's head in admiration. "Good boy!"

I kicked off my shoes, heading into the kitchen. I swung open the refrigerator door, grabbing a bottle of water. I quietly hummed along to the tune of some song I'd heard on the radio earlier today, shutting the fridge, and jovially walking up the stairs, entering my room.

I immediately stopped singing, placing the bottled water on the nearest table, which happened to be my new and improved computer desk. I smiled brightly, and couldn't help but laugh in amusement.

About three dozen pink roses lay in a neat, perfectly placed heap on my bed. I blinked a few times, still not believing my eyes. I walked closer, picking up a sheet of paper that was folded in half three times. I unfolded the letter, smiling to myself.

_Rachel, _

_I though this might be a great way to kick off our first "official" date. I spent two hours trying to figure out what color of roses you'd like the best, since there were about five million different shades to choose from. At first I was thinking black, but then realized black was way too emo for such a pretty girl like yourself. So, I hope you like pink. _

_Anyways, I'll pick you up at say…7:30 tonight? Call me if it's a problem…I'll probably be home playing video games or something. _

_Infinite X's and O's, _

_Cohen_

_**PS – Captain Oats says hi to both you and Princess Passion. **_

I laughed and titled my head to the side, looking from the note to the mountain of roses on the bed. I seriously wondered if there were enough vases in the house to support 36 pink roses. I doubted it, but it was worth a try. I placed the letter on my desk, right next to the bottle of water I'd been carrying moments ago. I stepped outside of my room, and abruptly headed downstairs, hoping to find a vase or…five.

* * *

It was almost 7:30. I dashed around my room, trying to decide what to wear.

Jeans were too casual.

Most of my dresses were too formal.

At least I'd decided on how to do my hair – loose, shiny curls – totally Hollywood.

I frowned, sitting down on my bed. I sat there for almost two minutes, before standing up.

"Eureka," I said softly, walking swiftly into my closet. I pulled on an off-white v-neck dress with lace detailing – it was formal, but not overly so. The straps on the dress were almost three inches wide, the torso was tight, but flattering, and the flowing skirt fell not far past my knees. I picked out a pair of strappy, black high-heels, and then headed out of my room, quickly down the stairs.

The tiled floor echoed the sound of my shoes, and I swiftly walked into the living room. My aunt and uncle were sitting on the sofa, watching the latest episode of _Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?_. They looked up as I entered the room, and I smiled excitedly.

"All right…now be honest. How do I look?" I asked, grinning from ear to ear. I imagined my peach-flavored lip gloss sparkling in the dim light.

My aunt gasped, and my uncle smiled, laughing gently. "You look absolutely stunning!" My aunt exclaimed, nodding in approval.

I spun around. "You sure it's not too desperate?"

Both my Uncle Joey and my Aunt Jennine shook their heads – coincidentally at the same time. "Of course not! You look great, Rach--" My uncle stopped in mid-sentence.

The doorbell rang.

I gasped, turning to run for the door, but then turning around again, facing my relatives. "I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"Don't stay out _too_ late, honey." Aunt Jennine called, and I nodded, walking very swiftly towards the entrance hall. I swung the door open, smiling brightly.

"Cohen!" I gasped, acting as if I were surprised to see him or something. I stepped outside, closing the door behind me, before embracing him into a long, passionate kiss.

He grinned, and I pulled away, looking up at him. "I guess you really like the flowers, huh?" He asked.

I nodded vividly. "Of course! Pink is definitely the new orange."

He gaped. "That's like saying pale is the new tan."

"You don't like pink?" I asked, pretending to be offended.

"Well…" He trailed off, but placed one hand behind my neck, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "I like pink if you like pink."

"Score."

He laughed, pulling me towards him, kissing me gently. "As much as I'd love to stay on your front doorstep and make out, we should probably get to the restaurant – we'll miss our reservation."

I smiled teasingly, and nodded. "Where are we going, anyways?"

He walked towards the Range Rover, his arm draped across my shoulders. He grinned with satisfaction. "You'll see all in good time, my dear, all in good time."

* * *

The restaurant was beautiful. It was kind of dark, but candlelit and romantic. When we walked through the front entrance, I couldn't help but gasp.

"Wow…Seth…this place is gorgeous…how'd you get in here? Isn't there like a two week waiting list for reservations?"

He shrugged limply, his arm across my shoulders again, almost protectively, in an admiring sense. "I've got some connections, you know…my dad being a lawyer and all that fun stuff."

The Maitre D' seated us at a table, close to the long, open windows that over looked the beach. The tablecloth was white, and a single candle was placed in the middle of the table, glowing relaxingly in the dim light. We sat down, and I cast a quick look towards the scenic stretch of beach, before looking back towards Seth.

"So, how was your day at the spa with Marissa, Princess?" He asked, looking keenly interested.

"It's was amazing, but I honestly can't believe there are over 18 different types of massages. But the manicures were spectacular – Marissa went for shimmery pink nail polish, but I like clear polish best – it goes with everything." I answered, smiling softly. I held out my hand, and he took my hand into his, carefully examining each perfectly manicured nail.

He smiled. "Where'd you go?"

"The place just down the street from the mall…I forget what it's called though. Something French, I think."

"Ooooh. I think my mom gets her nails done there, too." He smiled, and kissed my knuckles, before letting my hand go.

I giggled, grinning widely. "It's pretty quiet, but it's really nice."

Seth opened his mouth to say something, but the waiter came to our table, handing us our menus, and apologizing for the delay – apparently they were extremely busy and there was a party of fourteen people that needed to be taken care of. He promised he'd be back, but would give us a couple of minutes to decide what to order.

We both nodded, watching as the waiter walked away.

We discussed what sounded good, and the waiter came back, taking the menus, and our orders.

Of course, both Seth and I ordered the same thing. What a coincidence.

* * *

After dinner, while we were waiting for dessert, we started talking - again. Mostly about Death Cab, not to mention.

"I'm telling you, Rachel, that band was like, made in HEAVEN."

"It's so like, depressing!" I exclaimed, tilting my head to the side slightly.

"It's still awesome, Rach—" He stopped himself, both eyebrows raised.

I blinked curiously, before realizing why he'd stopped. I winced, looking down at my purse. My cell phone was ringing, but thankfully I'd turned the volume on the ringtone down before we left. I looked suspiciously down at the caller ID. I didn't recognize the number.

"I only carry it around for emergencies…I'm _so _sorry, Cohen!" I winced, before answering the phone. I looked at him, and he nodded in understanding.

"Hello?"

"_Rachel, hi."_

"Josh?" I asked, recognizing the voice.

"_Of course it's me."_

I rolled my eyes. "I'm at a restaurant – what's wrong?"

"_Oh."_ He sounded apologetic.

"Yeah."

"_Well…I know you're busy. But just let me get it off my chest, okay?"_

"Okay." I agreed, listening intently. I looked over at Seth, again, who was completely silent.

"_Rachel…"_

"Yes…" I said impatiently, waiting for his response. There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"_I'm getting married."_ Josh said finally, almost breathlessly.

"OH. MY. GOD." I almost dropped the cell phone. I hesitated for a moment, letting each word sink in. "To who?"

"_Adelle, of course."_

I yelped. I'd never liked Adelle. She was so sweet and cheerful all the time it was almost sickening. "I-I'm going to have to call you back." I stuttered, biting my bottom lip.

"_Okay, bye Rachel."_ He hung up.

I closed the phone, throwing it dreadfully back into my purse.

"Cohen." I sighed, frowning slightly.

He nodded, a look of concern crossing his face. I wondered if he'd heard the conversation, but I wasn't sure.

"My brother is getting married." I said grimly, sinking further into my seat.

* * *

"And why is that a bad thing?" He asked gently, after we'd finally left the restaurant.

I rested my head on his shoulder as we walked to the parking lot, his arms around me tightly. "He shouldn't be getting married." I stated simply.

"Uh…why?"

"He's marrying ADELLE."

"Oh." He said, blinking. "Who's Adelle?"

"The Wicked Witch of the North." I answered, frowning.

Seth snorted, fighting back the urge to laugh. "The north?"

"Yeah, she from like Canada or something."

He nodded, grinning slightly.

"She's evil. You know how freaky clowns are when they just smile all the time? Adelle is EXACTLY like that. She's happy all the time. It's just…weird."

We reached the Range Rover, and Seth sat on the hood of the car, gently patting the empty space next to him. I sat down, sighing. "How does that make her 'The Wicked Witch', though?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I just don't like her. And it's just depressing knowing that I'm going to have to deal with her immortal happiness for the rest of my life." I said grimly, looking down at the ground, before looking back up at him. "I'm going to have a SISTER-IN-LAW, Cohen!" I added, sighing.

He laughed gently, brushing my hair out of my face. "I think you're just overreacting. I'm sure there's a reason why they're getting married. You know, maybe they just love each other, like most people?"

I chuckled softly. "I really hope you're right." I said, sighing for about the thousandth time in the past 15 minutes.

"Cohen?" I decided to change the subject, not wanting to talk about the dilemma any further.

"Mmhm?"

"Thank you…for everything. The roses were beautiful, and the date was unbelievably perfect. I'm so sorry it had to end with you hearing me complain about my family issues." I said. I looked up at him, smiling.

He touched my cheek. "It was _still _perfect, even if it didn't end like we expected. And trust me, I've heard worse."

I smiled, leaning up and kissing him. "Thank you, even so."

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you guys like it! Nothing much yet, but the drama is brewing! ;D 


	9. A Moonlit Chat with Kid Chino

**A/N:** I've been plotting this chapter out for like, two weeks now. Finally, I've got it down into words.

**Reviews:**

**xocourtneyxo: **I'm wondering if Seth is just a little _too_ sweet. But then again…he stood on top of a hot dog stand for Summer. xD But I think I like Seth sweet. It clicks with his style.

Just now, I noticed Summer hasn't been mentioned much. I'll write a chapter with her soon. Catfights galore.

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

It was definitely August.

There was a chill to the air, signaling fall was on its way. Of course, it wasn't nearly as prominent as it was back in New York, but there was a difference between the seasons, even if the difference was very slight.

I stepped outside, my hands shoved into the pockets of my jeans. It was completely dark outside, except for the street lights. The stars splashed the night sky with light, shimmering in the distance. I threw my head back, sighing. It was getting cold outside, but I kept walking. I wasn't going to walk far. I really wasn't going to walk for long. I just needed to walk.

I really needed to run. Running, it seemed, was the only thing that could completely clear my mind.

But for now, I settled for walking. It had the same lulling effect as running, but without the exhilaration.

My thoughts were jumbled. My brother was getting married. I called him back, only to find out that he wanted me to be a bridesmaid in the wedding. And, that the wedding was in two weeks.

TWO DAMN FLIPPING WEEKS.

Why so soon? I hadn't even bothered to ask. He simply told me that my father would be there too, along with Renee and her kids.

I groaned, even at the thought of it. This would all just be a huge mess. I'd have to witness my brother getting married, and then I'd have to deal with my dad. Was there anything else that could make this whole situation worse? I hoped not.

"Rachel?"

My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. It wasn't Seth, however. I turned around quickly, my hair swinging over my shoulder like a girl in a movie. "Hey, Ryan." I smiled weakly, and stopped walking.

Ryan quickened his pace, catching up to me. "How're you doing?"

I blinked. "Seth, told you, didn't he?"

He nodded sheepishly. "Seth tells me pretty much everything. Even the stuff I _don't_ want to know."

I shrugged limply. "I'm doing okay."

"Just okay?"

I sighed. "It's just…weird. My brother is getting married. I'm going to have to go all the way back to New York and deal with my family."

Ryan nodded again, almost knowingly. "I guess…you aren't looking forward to it?"

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Not. At. All."

Ryan smirked.

"It's just…frustrating. I'm probably overreacting, but…it's a HUGE deal to me."

"I don't blame you. I couldn't imagine my brother getting married, and having to face my mother, and her boyfriend-of-the-day." He smiled lopsidedly.

I grinned slightly, tilting my head to the side, and suppressing a yawn. "It's _very _comforting to know that there is someone out there more miserable than I am." I stated simply, but was only joking.

He laughed. "Well, things get better from here. Trust me…I _really do_ know."

"Yeah, Seth told me. Chino, huh?"

He nodded. "Not exactly the friendliest neighborhood, if you know what I mean."

"I used to live in New York, Ryan."

"Oh, right." He grinned sheepishly.

I smiled softly once more, before casting a quick glance down towards the ground. "Well, it's great talking to you, but I should probably get back home."

Ryan cleared his throat, and nodded quickly. "Yeah, uh, of course…me too."

"I'll see ya 'round."

"Definitely - some time soon." He smiled.

"Bye, Ryan." I winked teasingly and waved, turning on my heel, heading back towards my aunt and uncle's house.

"Bye, Rachel." He called, and it was the very last thing I heard before walking through the front door. It felt nice to talk to someone else who _wasn't_ Seth, Marissa, or my aunt and uncle, just for a change.

* * *

**A/N:** Ahh! It's short, but meaningful. To me, at least. Anyways, review, and let me know what you think! 


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